IC-KRLF 


SDD 


UGAR  BEET  CULTURE 


AGRIC.  DEPT.Main  Lib, 


CULTURE 


SUGAR  BEET 
CULTURE 


fr  ,  p  • 


PUBLISHED  BY 

GERMAN  KALI  WORKS 

CHICAGO,  ILL. 

NEW  YORK,  N.  Y.  ATLANTA,  GA.  HAVANA,  CUBA 


.SB 

SUGAR  BEET  CULTURE 

will  be  sent  free  to  growers  or  persons  interested  in  beet  growing. 


Other  Important  Books  on  Agricultural  Subjects 

Principles  of  Profitable  Farming, 
Potash  in  Agriculture , 
Farmers'  Guide, 

Farmers'  Note  Book, 
Cotton  Culture, 

Tobacco  Culture, 

Strawberry  Culture, 

Tropical  Planting, 
Value  of  Swamp  Lands, 
Fertilizing  Tobacco, 

Sugar  Cane  Culture, 
The  Cow  Pea, 
Plant  Food, 

Tr'utk  Earniing, 

'  'Why  the  Fish  Failed, 
c  , . ,  \  .Stassturt  Industry, 
Orange  Culture. 


tj  If  you  wish  one  of  these  books,  you  can  obtain  the  same  free 
of  charge  by  writing  to  the  GERMAN  KALI  WORKS,562  Mon- 
adnock  Block,  Chicago,  111.  ;  93  Nassau  Street,  New  York;  or 
Atlanta,  Ga.,  1224  Candler  Bldg.  ;or  Havana,Cuba, West  Indies. 


Sugar  Beet  Culture 

A  half  century  of  failure  had  well  nigh  convinced  the 
American  farmer  that  the  production  of  sugar  from  the  beet 
would  not  succeed  here  when  on  the  site  of  one  of  the  most 
disastrous  failures  there  arose  the  first  successful  American 
Beet  Sugar  Factory.  This  was  established  at  Alvarado, 
California,  in  1880,  and  since  that  time  we  have  learned  that 
the  early  failures  were  due  to  selection  of  unsuitable  loca- 
tions in  relation  to  soil,  climate,  water  supply  and  labor  con- 
ditions, as  well  as  to  bad  business  management  and  defective 
equipment. 

So  rapid  has  been  the  progress  of  the  beet  industry  in  the 
United  States  that  it  now  produces  about  one- fourteenth  of 
the  world's  beet  sugar  supply,  or  one-twenty-eighth  of  the 
world's  total  sugar  supply. 

In  the  campaign  of  1908-9  there  were  operated  63  fac- 
tories, slicing  nearly  4,000,000  tons  of  beets  and  producing 
about  500,000  tons  of  sugar.  These,  factories  were  located 
in  1 6  states,  those  having  more  than  one  factory  being  Cali- 
fornia 8,  Colorado  16,  Idaho  4,  Michigan  16,  Utah  5,  Wis- 
consin 4,  while  Illinois,  Iowa,  Kansas,  Minnesota,  Montana, 
Nebraska,  New  York,  Ohio,  Oregon,  Washington  and  Ari- 
zona have  one  each,  the  factory  in  the  last  named  not  being 
in  operation. 

274363 


On  ;the  average  about  one  long  ton  of  sugar  is  produced 
per  acre.  e: 

The  factories  iti  Operation  have  a  daily  slicing  capacity  of 
49,200  tons  and  those  under  construction,  or,  not  in  opera- 
tion have  an  additional  capacity  of  3,200  tons.  The  indi- 
vidual factories  can  slice  from  350  to  3,000  tons  per  day. 
The  two  most  common  capacities  are  1,200  and  600  tons. 
Many  of  the  smaller  factories  are  constructed  so  as  to  per- 
mit of  doubling  their  capacity  at  a  relatively  small  cost. 

The  factories  may  be  roughly  arranged  in  three  groups — 
those  of  California,  of  Colorado  and  neighboring  states 
where  irrigation  is  used,  and  those  of  the  humid  region,  of 
which  Michigan  and  Wisconsin  are  the  most  important. 

Climatic  Conditions 

Volumes  have  been  written  in  regard  to  the  climate,  soil, 
cultural  and  manufacturing  conditions  best  suited  to  the 
industry.  While  it  is  true  that  most  of  the  early  failures 
were  due  to  neglect  of  these  conditions,  it  is  also  true  that 
there  are  a  number  of  local  conditions  that  have  had  much 
influence  in  fixing  the  three  present  centers  of  the  industry  in 
the  United  States. 

In  general  the  successful  factories  here,  as  well  as  abroad, 
are  located  within  100  miles  on  either  side  of  a  line  whose 
average  summer  temperature  is  70  degrees  Fahrenheit. 

The  distribution  of  the  rainfall  in  the  humid  region  is  also 
important,  a  low  rainfall  in  October  and  November  being  de- 
sirable to  permit  the  ripening  arid  harvest  of  the  beets. 

4 


Soils 

It  has  often  been  stated  that  any  soil  that  would  raise  corn 
would  produce  beets,  but  it  would  be  nearer  the  truth  to  say 
that  any  soil  that  will  raise  beets  will  also  produce  corn; 
for  there  is  much  corn  land  that  is  quite  unsuited  for  beets. 

In  general,  a  moderately  productive,  sajjdy  loam  is  pre- 
ferred for  beets.  But  about  the  factories  in  the  humid  sec- 
tion beets  will  be  found  growing  on  every  kind  of  soil  from 
sandy  to  clay  loam,  and  some  good  beets  have  even  been 
grown  on  muck.  On  the  lighter  soils  the  cost  of  production, 
per  acre,  is  less  than  on  the  heavier  types. 

Cultural  Methods 

Local  conditions  enter  very  largely  into  the  preparation  of 
the  soil,  the  distance  of  planting,  and  the  tillage  of  the  crop. 
Since  the  factories  usually  specify  the  essentials  in  their 
contracts  and  have  field  superintendents  to  advise  growers 
it  is  no  unusual  thing  to  find  fields  near  together,  but  under 
contract  to  different  factories,  handled  in  quite  different 
ways.  Hence,  it  is  not  necessary  to  go  into  details  upon 
these  matters. 

Varieties 

Since  the  factories  furnish  the  seed,  the  variety  is  not  left 
to  the  discretion  of  the  grower,  but  the  factory  manager  or 
field  superintendent  furnishes  seed  of  varieties  which  seem 
best  suited  to  the  soil  conditions  of  the  different  fields  under 
contract. 

5 


Seed  Production 

The  production  of  beet  seed  is  a  business  by  itself  and 
is  rarely  carried  on  by  farmers  who  raise  beets  for  factory 
purposes.  The  experiments  on  the  production  of  seed  in  the 
United  States  seem  to  show  that  seed  of  good  quality  can  be 
produced  here.  But  at  present  most  of  the  seed  is  imported 
and,  perhaps,  the  price  of  seed  is  not  high  enough  to  encour- 
age the  outlay  required  for  the  proper  equipment  for  pro- 
ducing high  grade  seed  here.  The  imported  seed  comes 
mainly  from  Germany,  smaller  quantities  being  brought 
from  France,  Holland  and  Austria. 

Cost  of  Production 

When  we  recall  the  very  great  range  in  the  estimates 
of  the  cost  of  producing  a  bushel  of  our  most  common  crops, 
such  as  wheat  or  corn,  it  is  not  strange  that  there  should 
be  wide  differences  in  the  ideas  of  farmers  as  to  the  cost  of 
producing  an  acre  of  a  comparatively  unknown  crop  like 
beets.  And  soil  conditions,  labor  rates,  and  familiarity  with 
the  work  do  make  a  great  difference  in  the  cost. 

As  an  offset  to  this  the  farmer  knows  in  advance  the  price 
he  is  to  secure  for  his  crop  and  generally  has  a  choice  be- 
tween a  flat  rate  per  ton,  usually  $4.50  or  $5.00,  and  a  rate 
of  $4.00  or  $4.50  per  ton  for  beets  containing  12  per  cent 
of  sugar  with  33  1/3  cents  for  each  additional  per  cent.  As 
beets  often  run  over  18  per  cent  sugar,  there  is  a  chance  to 
make  a  substantial  profit  by  adopting  the  latter  form  of  con- 
tract, and  the  factories,  of  course,  encourage  the  raising  of 

6 


the  highest  grade  beets  since  it  reduces  the  manufacturing 
cost.  As  a  rule,  however,  the  beets  with  the  highest  sugar 
content  do  not  produce  the  largest  yield  per  acre.  Hence, 
much  study  is  given  by  seed  growers  to  the  matter  of  pro- 
ducing beets  that  will  combine  a  high  sugar  content  with  a 
good  tonnage  per  acre.  Seed  which  will  give  good  yields 
of  high  quality  beets  under  proper  conditions  may  prove  dis- 
appointing under  bad  conditions  of  soil,  tillage,  season,  or 
manuring. 

While  the  factories  instruct  the  farmers  in  regard  to  suit- 
able soils  and  tillage,  even  to  the  extent  of  sometimes  taking 
charge  of  all  the  tillage  work  from  the  time  the  beets  are 
planted  until  the  harvest,  there  has  been  too  little  attention 
paid  to  the  matter  of  profitable  manuring  of  the  crop.  Doubt- 
less this  is  due  in  some  degree  to  the  opinion  commonly  held 
in  the  irrigated  region  that  water  is  both  food  and  drink  to 
the  plant,  while  in  the  humid  region  most  of  the  beets  are 
grown  where  the  use  of  commercial  plant  foods  is  very  little 
understood. 

Under  these  circumstances,  it  is  not  strange  that  very  few 
factory  managers  or  superintendents  have  given  any  serious 
attention  to  the  question  of  the  most  profitable  manuring  of 
the  crop.  Too  often  it  is  dismissed  as  being  "unnecessary'* 
instead  of  inquiring  whether  it  can.  be  made  profitable.  From 
time  to  time,  some  experiments  have  been  made  but  often 
these  took  the  form  of  testing  some  manufacturer's  "brand" 
rather  than  an  investigation  of  the  real  plant  food  require- 
ments of  the  crop.  And  even  when  more  systematic  ex- 
periments were  undertaken,  the  time  and  method  of  applica- 

7 


tion  and  the  proportions  used  were  not  such  as  to  give  prom- 
ise of  results  of  practical  commercial  value  to  the  beet 
grower. 

What  the  Crop  Takes  from  the  Soil 

The  average  yield  of  beets,  per  acre,  in  the  United  States 
is  between  9  and  10  tons.  In  the  irrigated  region  yields  are, 
of  course,  better  controlled.  In  the  humid  region  the  yield 
may  range  from  5  to  20  tons  per  acre  according  to  the  sea- 
son and  soil. 

Ten  tons  of  beets  with  their  tops  take  from  the  soil 
95  pounds  of  Potash 
22  pounds  of  Phosphoric  Acid 
46  pounds  of  Nitrogen. 

The  proportions  of  these  present  in  the  roots  and  in  the 
tops  vary  with  the  variety  of  beet,  the  season,  the  ripeness 
of  the  roots,  and  the  character  of  the  soil.    For  average  con- 
ditions, there  would  be  hauled  away  in  the  ten  tons  of  roots 
66  pounds  of  Potash 
16  pounds  of  Phosphoric  Acid 
32  pounds  of  Nitrogen, 
while  that  in  the  tops  would  remain  on  the  farm. 

Farmers'  Bulletin  52,  United  States  Department  of  Agri- 
culture, says :  "As  to  the  relation  which  the  quantity  of  ma- 
terial returned  to  the  soil  should  bear  to  the  quantity  ab- 
stracted by  the  beet,  it  may  be  said  in  general  that  it  is  desir- 
able to  return  as  much  nitrogen,  from  one  and  one  quarter 
to  one  and  a  half  times  as  much  potash,  and  two  and  a  half 

8 


times  as  much  phosphoric  acid  as  have  been  removed  by  the 
roots.  Greater  additions  of  potash  and  phosphoric  acid  have 
no  disadvantageous  effect  on  the  roots." 

On  this  basis  we  should  supply  for  each  ten  tons  of  roots 
removed 

200  pounds  Sulphate  of  Potash 

300  pounds  Acid  Phosphate 

200  pounds  Nitrate  of  Soda  (or  250  pounds  blood). 
On  clover  sod  or  on  land  where  a  heavy  application  of 
manure  has  been  applied  the  previous  year  the  nitrate  or 
blood  may  be  reduced  to  one  half. 

We  must  remember  that  the  beet  is  a  highly  bred  plant  and 
as  such  requires  corresponding  care  in  feeding.  To  obtain 
the  best  results  it  must  be  supplied 

with  the  right  plant  foods, 

in  the  right  amounts, 

in  the  right  form, 

in  the  right  way, 

at  the  right  time. 

What  the  plant  foods  are,  we  already  know,  and  the  rela- 
tive amounts  needed  have  been  shown.  Since  it  is  impor- 
tant that  the  beet  should  make  a  continuous  growth,  the  plant 
foods  should  be  in  such  forms  that  the  beet  can  use  them  as 
needed.  This  means  that  they  must  be  soluble  or  in  such 
loose  combination  with  the  soil  that  the  roots  can  readily 
take  them  up.  A  large  amount  of  unavailable  plant  food  in 
a  soil  is  of  no  advantage  to  the  beet  and  any  attempt  to  in- 
crease its  availability  by  turning  under  green  crops  or  apply- 

9 


ing  heaving  dressings  of  barnyard  manure  the  same  season 
that  the  beets  are  raised,  will  result  in  a  crop  of  low  sugar 
content. 

On  most  beet  soils  both  potash  and  phosphoric  acid  com- 
pounds can  be  profitably  used,  and  on  many,  nitrogen  com- 
pounds are  also  profitable,  but  must  be  used  with  discretion. 

The  beets  themselves  have  means  of  letting  us  know 
whether  they  are  hungry  for  certain  plant  foods,  and  if  we 
will  carefully  examine  the  fields  through  the  growing  season 
we  may  get  some  very  valuable  hints  in  regard  to  what  is 
needed  to  so  supplement  the  soil  supply  as  to  make  a  prop- 
erly balanced  ration  for  maximum  sugar  production. 

If  the  leaves  turn  yellow  before  maturity,  a  lack  of  nitro- 
gen is  shown. 

If  phosphoric  acid  is  deficient,  the  leaves  do  not  assume 
the  usual  lighter  shade  at  maturity,  but  wither  while  still  re- 
taining their  dark  green  color,  and  reddish  colored  spots  on 
the  edges  of  the  leaves  are  sometimes  seen  although  these 
are  not  very  conspicuous.  In  case  of  both  nitrogen  and 
phosphoric  acid  hunger,  the  size  of  the  leaves  is  much  re- 
duced in  the  early  stages  of  growth. 

When  there  is  a  lack  of  available  potash,  the  leaf  growth 
may  be  quite  strong  up  to  the  time  that  cultivation  ceases  and 
the  color  may  be  rich  dark  green.  But  development  is 
checked  rather  suddenly  at  a  time  when  the  roots  should  in- 
crease rapidly  in  size.  The  leaves  do  not  ripen  normally, 
but  bear  yellow  spots,  which  later  become  brown.  The  leaves 
are  inclined  to  curl  and  wither  quickly  in  the  sunshine. 

10 


Experiment  by  Mr.  S.  Godbold,  Charlevoix,  Mich. 
Right,  no  fertilizer,  yield  7  tons;  test  15.8  per  cent. 

Left  fertilized  with  500  Ibs.   per  acre  of  complete  fertilizer  containing   10  per  cent 
potash,  yield   10  tons;  test   1 6  per  cent. 

11 


EXPERIMENTER 

Acre  No. 

Fertilizer  used—  pou 

Sulphate 
of  Potash 

Acid 
Phospha 

Louis  KAIN,                                                    ( 
Owendale,  Mich. 
Clay  Soil.         ( 

WM.  EMORY,                                                   ( 
Caro,  Mich. 
Sandy  Loam.         ( 

FRED  HUTCH  INSON,                                       ( 
Owendale,  Mich. 
Clay  Loam.         ( 

SAGGERS  BROS.  ,                                              f 
Holland,  Mich. 
Clay  Loam. 

AUGUST  WEARSHKY,                                      ( 
Sebewaing,  Mich. 
Clay  Loam,         ( 

E.  H.  HUME.                                                 ( 
Lansing,  Mich. 
Clay  Loam.         ( 

C.  A.  TAGGETT,                                              ( 
Caro,  Mich. 
Clay  Loam.         ( 

A.  BEATTIE,                                                  j 
Charlevoix,  Mich. 
Clay  Loam,         ( 

E.  GRAHAM,                                                  ( 
Charlevoix,  Mich. 
Clay  Loam.         ( 

WM.  SHAPTON,,                                              ( 
Charlevoix,  Mich. 
Clay  Loam,         ( 

S.  GODBOLD,                                                  i 
Charlevoix,  Mich. 
Sandy  Loam.         ( 

CITAS.  W.  HESS,                                              ( 
Sebewaing,  Mich. 
Clav  Loam.         f 

1 

2 
3 

1 
2 
3 

1 
2 
3 

1 
2 
3 

1 

2 

3 

1 
2 
3 

1 
2 

1 
2 
3 

1 
2 

3 

1 
2 
3 

1 
2 
3 

1 
2 

3 

40 

100 
100 

50 

125 
125 

80 

200 

200 

66 

165 
165 

40 

100 
100 

100 

250 
250 

100 

250 
250 

100 

250 
250 

100 

250 
250 

90 

225 
225 

100 

250 
250 

100 

250 

250 

12 


per  acre 

Yield  net 

Increase  in 

Sugar  in 

Value  of 

Cost  of 

Profit 

$1  spent 

Blood 

pounds 
per  acre 

over 
unfertiliz'd 

Beet 
%  (test) 

Increase 

Fertilizer 

Fertilizer 

returned 

$ 

26,240 

14.7 

32 
32 

37,200 
27,760 

6  400 

10,960 
1,520 

17.9 
16. 

16  5 

49.49 
10.07 

3.00 
2.00 

46.49 
8.07 

39.42 

40 

40 

13,140 
10,320 

6,740 
3  920 

16.3 
15.9 

19.76 
10.73 

3.75 
2.50 

16.01 
8.23 

7.22 

28,000 

14.0 

64 
64 

36,000 
32  000 

8,000 
4  000 

17.8 
16  2 

43.36 
22  02 

6.00 
4  00 

37.36 
18  02 

10.67 

24  560 

16.1 

53 
53 

27,600 
26,000 

14  160 

3,040 
1,440 

17.3 
12.6 

16.5 

14.45 
—10.98* 

5.00 
3.34 

9.45 
Loss 

15.26 

32 
32 

20,820 
14,540 

31  240 

6,660 
380 

17.1 
16. 

13  4 

22.06 
-     .10* 

3.00 
2.00 

19.06 
Loss 

22.16 

80 
80 

30,500 
30,800 

Loss 

Loss 

15. 
13.1 

6.25 
—  2.63* 

7.50 
5.00 

Loss 
Loss 

3.55 

16,000 

15.2 

80 

80 

22,000 
20,000 

6,000 
4,000 

15.2 
15. 

16.71 
10.44 

7.50 
5.00 

9.21 

5.44 

2.51 

14920 

15 

80 
80 

21,400 
17,320 

14,200 

6,480 
2,400 

15. 
15.3 

16.2 

17.82 

7.47 

7.50 
5.00 

10.32 

2.47 

4.14 

80 
80 

17,040 
15,840 

2,840 
1,640 

17.5 
16.3 

12.04 

5.08 

7.50 
5.00 

4.54 
.08 

2.78 

14,400 

15  1 

72 
72 

18,000 
16,344 

3,600 
1,656 

15.4 
15. 

10.85 
5.13 

6.75 
4  '50 

4.10 
63 

2.54 

13,960 

15.8 

80 

80 

20,200 
17,480 

6,240 
3,520 

16. 

14  8 

18.60 
7  18 

7.50 
5  00 

11.10 
2  18 

4.57 

18,524 

15.1 

80 

80 

20,632 
19,796 

2,108 
1,272 

17.4 
17.1 

13.77 
10.15 

7.50 
5.00 

6.27 
5.15 

1.45 

*Loss. 


13 


14 


If  the  deficiency  of  potash  is  very  marked,  the  leaves  be- 
come narrow  and. the  plants  are  especially  susceptible  to  the 
bacterial  disease  which  manifests  itself  by  curiously 
crumpled,  small  leaves  and  by  dark  rings  in  the  root.  This 
disease  is  quite  common  in  American  beet  fields.  But  since 
most  of  the  diseased  beets  have  lost  their  tops  before  har- 
vest, it  is  frequently  overlooked.  A  diseased  beet,  which 
still  retains  its  top,  seldom  contains  over  10  per  cent  of  sugar. 

Sources  of  the  Plant  Food 

If  barnyard  manure  is  to  be  used  to  supply  nitrogen  to 
the  beet,  experience  has  shown  that  it  should  be  applied  from 
six  months  to  a  year  before  the  beets  are  planted. 

Where  manure,  or,  green  crops  are  plowed  under  at  the 
time  the  beets  are  planted,  there  is  an  excessive  growth  of 
leaf  and  the  beets  are  so  late  in  maturing  that  the  sugar 
content  is  seriously  reduced. 

On  the  other  hand,  if  nitrate  of  soda  is  used  it  may  be  ap- 
plied after  the  beets  are  growing,  provided  the  quantity  be 
not  too  great. 

As  a  source  of  phosphoric  acid,  acid  phosphate,  dissolved 
bone  black,  and  acidulated  bone  are  suitable  and  basic  slag 
is  good  where  it  can  be  obtained.  The  excess  of  lime  in  the 
slag  may  be  of  benefit  on  some  soils,  for  the  beet  contains 
considerable  lime.  If  bone  is  used  it  should  be  as  finely 
ground  as  possible,  but  it  acts  rather  too  slowly. 

Not  only  is  potash  the  most  abundant  plant  food  in  the 
beet,  but  it  has  a  special  work  to  perform  in  connection  with 

15 


Field  of  Wm.  Emory.      Complete   fertilizer  with  10  per  cent  potash  on  right. 
On  left  no  fertilizer,  with  bad  stand  and  unprofitable  yield. 


the  formation  of  the  substance  that  gives  the  root  its  value — 
the  sugar.  During  the  last  four  weeks  of  growth  the  beet 
must  not  only  increase  in  size  but  must  manufacture  and 
store  a  large  amount  of  sugar.  To  do  this  successfully  there 
must  be  present,  in  available  form,  enough  potash  for  both 
leaves  and  root. 

If  crude  salts,  like  Kainit,  are  used,  it  is,  perhaps,  better 
to  apply  them  the  previous  fall.  But  as  the  refined  salts  are 
mostly  used  for  beet  culture,  they  may  be  used  at,  or  just 
before,  planting  time. 

16 


Potash  (K)  improves  the  size,  yield,  shape  and  sugar  content. 

The  sulphate  of  potash  is  generally  used  in  sugar  beet 
mixtures. 

On  land  which  has  been  cropped  for  a  long  time  without 
any  application  of  potash  salts,  it  occasionally  happens  that 
a  moderate  application  of  potash  salts  seems  to  produce  no 
increase  in  the  yield  of  beets  while  a  much  heavier  applica- 
tion is  quite  effective.  The  explanation  of  this  seems  to  be 
that  the  beet  is  not  a  vigorous  forager  for  potash  and  that 
the  soil  hunger  for  the  potash  is  such  that  it  fixes  a  certain 
amount  too  firmly  for  the  beet  to  get  it,  but  when  this 
amount  is  exceeded  the  remainder  is  available  to  the  beet. 
Hence,  the  importance  of  using  a  liberal  amount  of  potash 
for  the  first  application,  and  of  maintaining  a  suitable  re- 
serve in  the  soil. 

Amounts  to  Use 

Most  of  the  plant  food  used  in  America  is  in  the  form  of 
ready  mixed  fertilizers.  For  beet  culture  a  suitable  formula 
for  typical  loam  or  sandy  loam  soils  is 

Nitrogen   2  per  cent 

Available  Phosphoric  Acid .  .   7  per  cent 

Potash   10  per  cent 

Of  this,  from  500  to  1,500  pounds  per  acre  may  be  used. 

17 


Experiment  by  Louis  Kain,  Owendale,  Mich. 


O.    No  fertilizer,  yield  13.2    KPN.     Complete  fertilizer     PN.    Fertilized  with  Nitro- 
tons;  test  14.7  per  cent.          with  10  percent  potash,         gen  and  Phosphoric  Acid 
200  pounds  per  acre,  yield 
1 8. 6  tons  test    179    per- 
cent. 

The  crates  contain  the  yield  from  2^  square  rods  of  each  plat.      In  this  experi- 
ment one  dollar  spent  for  potash  returned  thirty-nine  dollars  and  forty-two  cents. 


but  no  potash;  16.9  tons; 
test  16.0  per  cent. 


The  actual  plant  food  in  a  ton  of  this  goods  would  be 
obtained  by  mixing  1 ,000  pounds  of  14  per  cent  acid  phos- 
phate, 400  pounds  sulphate  of  potash,  and  300  pounds  of 

dried  blood.  Instead  of  blood,  200  pounds  of  sulphate  of  am- 

18 


monia  may  be  used  to  furnish  the  nitrogen,  or  275  pounds  of 
nitrate  of  soda.  If  nitrate  of  soda  is  used  the  mixture  must 
be  distributed  as  soon  as  made,  or  the  nitrate  may  be  held 
out  and  applied  later.  One  may  easily  increase  the  potash 
in  mixed  goods  of  too  low  grade.  To  increase  the  potash  one 
per  cent  add  two  pounds  of  sulphate  (or  muriate)  of  potash 
in  each  one  hundred  pounds  of  the  fertilizer.  Thus  to  bring 
goods  with  only  five  per  cent  of  potash  up  to  ten  per  cent, 
add  ten  pounds  of  sulphate  of  potash  to  each  ninety  pounds 
of  the  fertilizer. 

Method  of  Application 

If  the  seeders  have  a  fertilizer  attachment,  IOO  to  200 
pounds,  per  acre,  may  be  drilled  in  with  the  seed  and  the 
remainder  may  be  applied  broadcast  before  harrowing. 
There  is  no  danger  that  any  of  the  ingredients,  except  nitrate 
of  soda,  will  be  lost  by  leaching  so  the  broadcast  application 
may  be  made  as  soon  as  the  land  is  plowed,  and  if  fall  plow- 
ing is  used  it  would  be  quite  safe  to  apply  the  potash  salts 
and  the  phosphate  at  that  time. 

Beet  seed  is  often  sown  with  an  ordinary  grain  drill,  only 
every  third  delivery  tube  being  left  open  for  the  seed.  In 
such  cases  the  fertilizer  may  be  applied  at  the  same  time  by 
using  a  grain  drill  with  the  usual  fertilizer  attachment.  All 
the  delivery  tubes  in  the  fertilizer  attachment  are  left  open, 
thus  practically  combining  drilling  in  the  row  with  broad- 
casting, a  method  that  finds  much  favor  where  it  is  desired 
to  force  the  young  beet  plants  ahead  of  the  weeds  and  at  the 
same  time  provide  a  wider  distribution  of  the  plant  food  at 

the  time  the  sugar  is  forming  most  rapidly. 

19 


Any  excess  of  mineral  fertilizer  not  used  by  the  beet  crop 
will  be  available  for  the  following  crops.  The  marked 
increase  in  the  yield  of  grain  that  followed  the  introduction 
of  the  sugar  beet  industry  in  Europe  was  due  quite  as  much 
to  the  heavy  fertilization  as  to  the  improved  tillage. 

Plant  foods  are  used  in  beet  culture  to  increase  the 
yield,  to  improve  the  sugar  content,  to  secure  a  full  stand, 
and  to  make  the  beet  outgrow  the  weeds  and  permit  earlier 
thinning.  For  these  purposes  the  fertilizer  must  be  properly 
balanced  for  the  crop,  and  the  previous  treatment  as  well  as 
the  composition  of  the  soil  must  be  taken  into  consideration. 

American  farmers  when  first  experimenting  with  fertil- 
izers are  quite  apt  to  begin  with  bone  because  it  is  a  familiar 
material  and  readily  obtained.  It  contains  nitrogen  and 
phosphoric  acid  but  no  potash. 

Facts  from  Field  Tests 

Some  experiments  conducted  in  Michigan  in  1907  and 
1908  may  illustrate  the  profits  of  a  properly  balanced  fer- 
tilizer on  the  beet  crop. 

The  plan  was  the  simplest  and  plainest  possible;  on  one 
acre  no  fertilizer  was  used,  on  the  second  500  pounds  of  a 
complete  fertilizer  containing  2  per  cent  of  nitrogen,  7  per 
cent  phosphoric  acid  and  10  per  cent  potash,  while  on  the 
third  acre  500  pounds  of  a  fertilizer  with  2  per  cent  nitrogen, 
7  per  cent  phosphoric  acid,  but  no  potash,  were  used. 

By  comparing  acre  one  with  acre  two  we  learned  whether 
a  complete  fertilizer  would  be  profitable,  and  by  compar- 

20 


ing  acre  two  with  acre  three  the  effect  of  the  potash  could 
be  learned.  See  table,  page  12. 

The  experimenters  used  the  fertilizer  at  the  rate  of  from 
200  to  500  pounds  per  acre.  The  seasons  at  most  points 
were  unfavorable,  the  drought  during  August  not  permitting 
a  continuous  growth  or  the  plant  food  to  be  used  to  the  best 
advantage.  On  this  account  the  lighter  applications  of  fer- 
tilizer may  have  made  a  relatively  better  showing  than  the 
heavier  ones. 

The  profits  are  calculated  on  the  basis  of  $4.50  for  12  per 
cent  beets  and  33  1/3  cents  for  each  additional  per  cent  of 
sugar  in  the  beet. 

The  profits  are  certainly  enough  to  justify  the  continued 
use  of  fertilizers  and  the  improvement  in  both  yield  and 
sugar  content  due  to  the  potash  is  very  striking  and  shows 
excellent  profits. 

In  the  case  of  Mr.  Hume's  experiment  a  slight  loss  in 
yield  was  more  than  compensated  by  the  increase  in  sugar 
on  the  plat  with  the  potash  fertilizer,  while  a  loss  of  $2.79 
on  plat  3  fertilized  only  with  nitrogen  and  phosphoric  acid 
was  converted  into  a  gain  of  $6.24  by  adding  the  potash. 

Throughout  all  the  experiments,  the  use  of  potash  has  the 
effect  of  increasing  the  profits  out  of  all  proportion  to  its 
cost,  and  the  use  of  a  fertilizer  containing  10  per  cent  of 
potash  is  fully  justified. 

The  Michigan  Experiment  Station  has  conducted  many 
systematic  sugar  beet  experiments  with  fertilizers  and  barn 
yard  manure  and  sums  up  the  results  by  a  statement  that  no 
single  element  or  two  element  fertilizer  is  as  profitable  as  a 

21 


Experiment  by  A.    Beattie,    Charlevoix,   Mich.      Fertilized  with  Nitrogen  and 
Phosphoric  Acid.      (See  page  12.) 


complete  fertilizer  for  beets  and  that  the  proper  commercial 
fertilizer  is  better  than  barnyard  manure,  because  the  manure 
while  producing  in  some  cases  somewhat  better  yields  always 
produced  beets  of  such  low  sugar  content  and  purity  as  to 
make  the  amount  of  sugar  per  acre,  and  the  money  secured 
from  the  crop,  less  with  the  manure  than  with  the  fertilizer. 
In  these  experiments  the  equivalent  of  500  pounds  of  4-7-9 
goods  was  compared  with  20  loads  of  manure,  the  manure 
containing  over  5  times  as  much  plant  food  as  the  fertilizer. 
The  Wisconsin  Experiment  Station  in  summing  up  the  re- 
sults of  fertilizer  tests  states — Rpt. — 1905 — "It  will  be  noted 
that  there  was  a  marked  improvement  both  in  the  yield  and 

22 


Experiment  by  A.  Beattie,  Charlevoix,  Mich.     Fertilized  with  Complete  fertilizer 
containing  10  per  cent  potash.     (See  page  12.) 


the  quality  of  the  beets  grown  on  the  fertilized  half  of  the 
field  as  compared  with  the  results  for  either  of  the  plats 
which  received  no  fertilizer,  the  average  sugar  content  of 
the  beets  on  the  unfertilized  plats  being  16.9  per  cent 
and  on  the  fertilized  plats  17.3  per  cent;  the  average 
purity  on  the  unfertilized  plats  being  89.1  and  on  the  fer- 
tilized plat  90.2.  Through  the  application  of  fertilizers  the 
yield  of  beets  was  increased  by  41.9  per  cent  and  the  yield 
of  sugar  per  acre  was  increased  by  47.3  per  cent  over  the 
corresponding  figures  of  the  unfertilized  plats." 

The  New  York  (Geneva)  Experiment  Station,  Rpt.  1898, 
shows  that  from  500  to  1,500  pounds  per  acre  of  complete 


commercial  fertilizer  are  .profitable  on  sugar  beets  but  that 
twenty  tons  of  'barriyiird  manure  did  not  increase  the  crop 
\for  the:  cost1  of  hauling  and  distribution. 


Potash  Not  Injurious  to  the  Quality  of  the 
Beet  for  Sugar  Making 

It  is  sometimes  claimed  that  potash  salts  impair  the  purity 
of  the  beet  juices  and,  hence,  tend  to  interfere  with  the  sepa- 
ration of  the  sugar  in  the  factory. 

If  proper  amounts  of  potash  salts  of  high  grade  are  used 
at  the  right  time  there  need  be  no  fear  from  this  source, 
Very  large  applications  of  crude  potash  salts  at  planting  time 
might  have  this  effect  ;  but  any  soluble  salts  used  at  that  time 
would  have  the  same  effect.  As  mentioned  above,  if  crude 
salts,  like  Kainit,  are  used  on  beet  fields  it  is  better  to  apply 
them  some  months  in  advance  of  planting. 

The  continued  use  for  15  years  of  considerable  quanti- 
ties, from  100  to  200  pounds,  per  acre,  each  year  at  the  time 
of  planting,  of  even  muriate  of  potash  in  addition  to  acid 
phosphate  and  sulphate  of  ammonia  was  shown  by  the  Ind- 
iana Experiment  Station  to  produce  beets  of  higher  purity, 
better  form  and  greater  yield  than  were  produced  on  the 
plats  fertilized  with  barnyard  manure  or  on  those  receiving 
no  fertilizer. 

If  the  right  plant  focds  are  used  at  the  right  time,  in  the 
right  proportions,  there  need  be  no  fear  that  the  increased 
yield  will  be  at  the  expense  of  sugar  making  value. 

H.  A.  HUSTON, 
34 


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